Spring opening cloudy pool excessively high PH > 8.2

[PoolDoc]

Hi JuJu;

It sounds like you closed with a definite stabilizer level, and opened with none?

Contrary to what most in the pool industry 'know', stabilizer can be 'eaten' over the winter by bacteria. When this happens, the bacteria 'poop' out either nitrogen gas (no problems!) or ammonia and possibly some other nitrogen compounds (BIG problems).

The second case (ammonia, etc.) shows up in spring time as
1. CYA = 0, or else much reduced from fall level
2. Free chlorine levels rapidly disappear, leaving high combined chlorine levels, when then also disappears.

It appears this is what has happened to you. Unfortunately, the amount of chlorine required to 'burn out' the ammonia is discouragingly high. Unfortunately, there's no short cut -- you just have to keep adding chlorine till the ammonia is gone.

Under the circumstances, I think this is what you should do:
1. Aerate to lower your TA. If you have a bubbler or fountain attachment for your pool return, install it. If not, adjust your return so that the water flow is aimed at the surface, and 'ruffles' the water. The whole process is explained on the lowering alkalinity page. But, you don't have to understand it, to do it. If you aerate (add air) your pool as best you can, and keep your pH low, your TA will drop. If you can't aerate, but keep your pH low, it will STILL drop but it will be slowly.

2. Use up all your dichlor products, starting with the Easy Shock.

3. Stop using the K-2006 for now. Use a K-1000 or a locally purchased OTO kit (this is explained on the test kit page in my signature). Maintain a dark yellow to orangish-yellow chlorine level, first with dichlor, and then with bleach. Add chlorine in the evening. Let levels drop to yellow / dark yellow before re-dosing.

4. If you are nearly out of R-0013 CYA reagent, you can order a pint bottle from Amazon (test kit page, again). If you need other refills, tell us what, and we can tell you how to get them. (But, use the OTO kit, for now.)

5. Be patient. Cleaning up a CYA => ammonia mess takes time.